The Impact of Dengue on Economic Growth: The Case of Southern Taiwan

Chien-Yuan Sher, Ho Ting Wong and Yu-Chun Lin
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Chien-Yuan Sher: Department of Business Management, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan
Ho Ting Wong: Institute of Health Care Management, Department of Business Management, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan
Yu-Chun Lin: Department of Business Management, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 3, 1-12

Abstract: Dengue has long been a public health problem in tropical and subtropical countries. In 2015, a dengue outbreak occurred in Taiwan, where 43,784 cases were reported. This study aims to assess the impact of dengue on Southern Taiwan’s economic growth according to the economic growth model-based regression approach recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Herein, annual data from Southern Taiwan on the number of dengue cases, income growth, and demographics from 2010–2015 were analyzed. The percentage of reduction of the average income per capita in 2015 due to the dengue outbreak was estimated. Dengue was determined to have a negative linear economic impact on Southern Taiwan’s economic growth. In particular, a reduction of 0.26% in the average income per capita was estimated in Southern Taiwan due to the 2015 outbreak. If the model is applied alongside other dengue outbreak forecast models, then the forecast for economic reduction due to a future dengue outbreak may also be estimated. Prevention and recovery policies may subsequently be decided upon based on not only the number of dengue cases but also the degree of economic burden resulting from an outbreak.

Keywords: dengue; economic impact; growth accounting; spatial regression; Taiwan (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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